INEC Reinstates LP’s Abure, PDP’s Anyanwu on Official Website Following Supreme Court Rulings

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reinstated Julius Abure as National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP) and Alhaji Umar Farouk Ibrahim as its National Secretary on its official website. This update comes in compliance with a recent Supreme Court judgment, according to sources within the commission. INEC also restored Senator Samuel Anyanwu’s name as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), although it did not specify whether this decision was court-ordered.

The Supreme Court had, in a recent ruling, overturned earlier decisions by the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal that had recognized Abure’s removal from office. The apex court ruled that the matter was an internal affair of the Labour Party and not subject to judicial intervention. Despite the judgment, prominent figures within the party, including Abia State Governor Alex Otti and the 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, have continued to back a Caretaker Committee led by Senator Nenadi Usman, insisting that the ruling effectively ended Abure’s leadership.

Governor Otti had presented INEC with a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the Supreme Court’s decision on April 9, emphasizing the need for clarity and institutional alignment on the party’s leadership. An INEC official confirmed that the commission took the step to reinstate Abure after reviewing the court document, noting that the judgment did not address the substance of the leadership dispute but rather declared the lower courts lacked jurisdiction. This effectively reinstated the previous state of affairs within the party.

In a similar development, the Supreme Court also reversed the decisions of lower courts which had removed Senator Anyanwu from his position as PDP’s National Secretary. The ruling stated that the case was outside the jurisdiction of the lower courts and constituted an internal party matter. The leadership dispute had seen Anyanwu face opposition from Mr. Sunday Ude-Okoye, who had the backing of some PDP governors.

INEC’s latest updates reflect the status quo as guided by the Supreme Court, reinforcing the court’s position that internal party leadership issues are beyond the jurisdiction of the judiciary unless explicitly provided by law.